Loxton

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Geography and History

Loxton, situated 80km west of Victoria West on the tarred R63, is one of those rare Karoo villages with plenty of trees. The streets are lined with 100-year old trees, and narrow water channels are used to flood-irrigate residents gardens. In spring, the air is filled with blossom-scent and in summer fruit and vegetables sprout from enthusiastic gardeners’ plots. Donkey carts klip-klop through town sedately, their owners waving as they pass.

Originally the farm Phizantefontein, Loxton was bought from AE Loxton by the Dutch Reformed Church in 1899. Built to serve the sheep-farming community, it became a municipality in 1905. In March 1961, three-quarters of the town was destroyed by a flash-flood causing the dam above the town to burst.

Many of the original 100+year-old houses remain and are good examples of typical vernacular Karoo architecture. The oldest building, the original horse stable of the farm Phezantefontein, is a portion of the now redundant power station at the eastern end of Magrieta Prinsloo Street.

The unique stone Corbelled houses that are shaped like old-fashioned beehives are also found around Loxton. In fact, these dwellings only occur in a small area of the Karoo roughly between Loxton, Fraserburg, Williston, and Carnarvon. They were built from 1811 onwards by the early trekboers (migratory farmers) and due to the lack of other building materials, consist solely of local stone and have no supporting roof beams.

Activities

Activities in the area include bird watching (after good rains) on and around farm dams, a /Xam-San waterhole, a church built of local sandstone, and replica Dutch castle and windmill, which looks like it’s stepped straight out of Disneyland. This is one of the two largest garlic-producing areas in the country.

Karoo hospitality is world famous. Loxton’s climate is sunny, the stars at night will take your breath away, the lamb dishes are to die for ... Come a spend a holiday, a weekend, or just a night in Loxton, and find out why it is the best little vilage in the world!